The One I Need
by GearsGirl6295
Summary: After Sam is badly wounded, Baird realizes just how much he needs her. Rated T for violence and language.
1. Chapter 1

Sam's eyes, which had been shut tight fighting back the pain, opened wide for a moment as she gasped for breathe before fluttering closed once more. "Sam? Sam! Come on damn it, stay with me!" Baird pressed his fingers to her neck checking her fading pulse again. Her skin was cold and clammy. "Oh, sh-" He fumbled around for something, he wasn't sure what, that might help her. He had used nearly all of the gauze wraps he had, placing them gently against her ribs just beneath her right breast. The digger had exploded no more then 6 feet away from her, the shrapnel managing to pierce straight through her armor. Sam's wound was severe. It didn't take a doctor to tell she'd lost a hell of a lot of blood; each gauze wrap was soaked with it, as well as what remained of her tank shirt. Baird had done the best he could to clean the wound; he'd managed to remove her chest plate and tear the bottom right half of her debris-covered shirt away. He then poured water from his canteen on and around the effected area, washing away as much dirt and blood as he could before applying pressure with the clean gauze wraps. He tried to keep the environment "sterile"; his mind racing with all possible ways to treat a wound like this. He'd gone over everything he knew; hands working feverishly as he silently cursed over the lack of morphine in his small first aid kit. Only field medics were permitted to carry the pain killer now, with everything in such short supply.

Sam moaned as she reached for the wound again. She didn't know why, but the excruciating pain coming from her side made her want to touch that part of her body, as one might rub their knee after bumping it. "No, no. Sam, don't do that," Baird said, a little more sternly then he would have liked as he took her hand in his. He noticed her gloves were bloody and dirty and removed them for her, trying to make her as comfortable as possible. She clutched his hand weakly; her fingertips like ice in his bare hands. Suddenly, she squeezed the mechanic's hand like a vice as she inhaled sharply through her teeth. "Easy, easy, it's alright. Just breathe," he told her, squeezing her hand back. Her strained expression slowly relaxed again, her breathing shallow. He looked at the saturated gauze for the hundredth time. They were so soaked with blood that they'd started to slip out of place again. Each time Baird had to put them back on the wound, fresh waves of pain radiated from Sam's side. As he began to do so again, she gasped then whimpered pitifully, trying her best to control herself. "Baird, please….I c-can't….," she begged as she tried to squirm from his strong grip. "I know. I'm sorry. It's just…we have to apply pressure on it...To stop the bleeding." Sam nodded weakly, defeated. Her eyes were red, but she'd kept her tears from falling.

Baird decided to remove the gauze wraps and replace them with new ones. He knew he shouldn't, but it was the only thing he could do to stop the bleeding while keeping Sam comfortable. Fresh gauze seemed to stay in place better, which meant he wouldn't have to keep touching the wound, causing her even more pain.

"Last time, I promise." He said. Sam bit her lower lip and closed her eyes tight, bracing herself.

* * *

_Damon Baird sped down the dirt road at full speed, cursing under his breath. He knew the pack-horse was damaged badly, so he wanted to cover as much distance as he could before it broke down._

_"Hey, Baird! Slow down will ya? I think Carson's gonna hurl." Sid shouted with a smirk from the back seat, watching his squad mate cover his mouth, fighting back the urge to vomit. Ziryn put her arm around Carson's shoulders. "Just relax. Close your eyes," she soothed as she glared at the back of Baird's head before turning to Sam. "Is he always this much of a pain in the ass?" she whispered, not wanting Baird to overhear. Sam laughed softly. "You have no idea. Just be happy you're only stuck with him for today." The Pasanga woman raised her eyebrows at her female companion before shaking her head, chuckling softly. "Well, I don't know how you've managed stay alive, much less deal with him if he always drives like this," she said as the truck bounced over a rock in the road. Carson shivered and shut his eyes tighter then before._

_"Hey mate, if you've gotta puke, just do it over there, yeah?" Sid told him as he pointed to the corner farthest from himself. "I just cleaned these boots," Sid chuckled before Sam punched him in the arm, "Ow, what? I did," he said, gesturing to his feet. The south-islander rolled her eyes at him. "Yeah, we're all real impressed Sid." "Really?" Sid quipped, his handsome face lit with a charming smile as Baird shot him a look that said "you better shut the hell up!" through the rear view mirror. Sam sighed and shook her head, smiling, then closed her eyes and rested her head against the interior of the pack-horse. "I'm fine guys, I just get…car sick sometimes…," Carson said weakly, taking a deep breathe, then exhaling slowly._

_"Hey Zayn, you alright?" Sam asked when she noticed the young gear sitting slightly apart from the others, fingering his COG tags. "Oh, yeah, ugh, yeah," he said softly, folding his hands on his lap. "Baird's driving isn't bothering you too, is it?" Sid asked before looking at the others with an evil grin, wriggling his eye brows. His female companions rolled their eyes at him in unison. He had close shaven dark brown hair, a thick accent and a real knack for getting on Baird's nerves with his flirty, mischievous attitude. The blonde gear shot the younger man a quick glance through the rear view and gritted his teeth. Aside from Sam, he was now enemy number 1._

_"Oh, no…it's just…" Zayn cleared his throat. "Nothing. I was just thinking." He was still a little shaken from the fighting earlier. Ziryn took his hand and squeezed it and he looked up at her and smiled, slightly more relaxed then before. "In case you idiots haven't noticed, this thing isn't running that great!" Baird barked from the driver's seat, his face flushed. "Well no shit! You're beating the hell out of it, man!" Sid said with a laugh. Baird sighed, trying to control his temper. "And the wretches had nothing to do with it, right Sid?" "Ah, calm down mate, just having a bit of fun." "Yeah well, you're gonna have some fun in a minute." Baird shot back, as the pack-horse jerked and sputtered, then died. Baird cursed and jumped out, slamming the door._

_"Damn…Is he always this pissed?" Sid asked; eyes wide. Sam rolled her eyes back and groaned, at the end of her rope with the touchy blonde, then nodded. "Let's go see what we can do," Ziryn said calmly, climbing out of the truck. "That woman is a saint," Sam thought to herself as she followed. "Come on guys, let's get a little air." She said. "Oh God yes," Carson muttered as he got up, looking pale. Sid laughed and followed him. The group jumped out of the pack-horse to see Baird already opening the trunk, mouthing a colorful array of curse words as he sifted through his tool box. "Hey Baird, is there anything we can do?" Ziryn asked gently as he slammed the trunk shut. "No!" he snapped before looking at the young woman's hurt expression. His face softened slightly as he lowered his voice. "No, its fine, I've got this," he said. She nodded and turned to join the others who'd gathered around the edge of the road before Baird tapped her on the shoulder. "Thanks anyway," he said softly. She nodded her head with a weak smile and walked over to the group. Baird looked at the ground for a second before going to the front of the pack-horse where he undid his chest piece and crawled underneath. At least he'd had the decency to sound sorry. He'd just met her this morning, but Baird had noticed Ziryn's kindness and gentle demeanor right away, so he felt bad for having shouted at her. "Save it for Sid," he told himself as he pulled his goggles over his eyes._

_Sam was talking with Zayn and Sid as Ziryn made her way to join them. "Turned you down huh?" Sam asked, smiling weakly, looking compassionately at her. Ziryn just shrugged. "Told ya he was a bastard," Sid added. "I swear, I don't know how you put up him everyday Sammie." Sam shot him a withering glance and his smile vanished. He'd already given her a pet name, and she didn't like it. "You learn to ignore him," Sam told Ziryn, not bothering to look at Sid. "Hey, where's Carson?" she asked, looking around. "He, umm," Sid bit his lower lip, fighting back laughter. "He didn't make it." Ziryn looked at Sid with disgust then turned to Zayn. "That poor thing, what happened?" "Oh, he'll be fine. He just hates "all types of vehicles," Sid replied, making quotation marks in the air with his fingers. "Weak stomach, that one. You should see him on a boat." He smiled, remembering old times with his friend. "He's a good lad though. Ah hell, I'd better go find him. He couldn't have made it too far." He turned and started off in search of Carson._

_"Hey Zayn! Let's have a look around," Ziryn called as she started down the dirt road. "I was thinking the same thing." The young man replied, jogging after her. "You coming Sam?" The brunette gear was about to reply before turning back to look at Baird, struggling with whatever he was working on underneath the pack-horse. She overheard Sid shout "Found him!" and glanced over to see the queasy gear wiping his mouth, walking slowly with his friend patting his back to where Ziryn stood waiting. "Nah, I'll stay here," she said. "Someone's gotta watch his ass." She added quickly gesturing to Baird with her thumb. Zayn smiled and nodded once, before turning away. "We'll just scout around for a bit!" he called over his shoulder._

**(Author's Note) Zayn, Ziryn, Sid and Carson are my OC's.**


	2. Chapter 2

Baird slowly peeled away the sticky crimson strips revealing the decent sized hole in Sam's chest, blood stilling oozing like a steady river of red down her side. "God damn it…," he muttered under his breath, trying to look as composed as he possibly could as he reached for his bag. "How….Bad...?" Sam asked, her voice a raspy whisper. Her skin was ashen, her eyes half lidded as she attempted to get a better look. She barely moved before exclaiming in pain. "Sam, don't. Just stay still". Baird told her, as he gently held her down. She tried to get up once more, fighting back the urge to scream from the pain. "Sam, please! We're ok now. Just stay still.

"My….I hurt…So M-much…..." Sam stuttered as Baird rolled the gauze into a bundle. "I know. Just hang on." He pressed the clean gauze against her as gently as he could while still applying pressure. Sam whimpered as he did so, shifting her body against the forest floor. "I know, I know. I'm sorry. I'm almost done." Baird touched her cheek, moist with icy sweat. "Driving….T-to…fast…" "Sam, come on, look at me! Just stay awake alright? Oh God…." Sam's eyes were shut now, and her head had gone limp against Baird's palm.

* * *

_"Come on Baird! Hurry up, will you? I'm starved!" An impatient Sam shouted from her perch on the bumper of the packhorse. "I don't see you trying to help!" Baird replied from underneath the oversized vehicle. "Hey, would you mind getting off your ass and grab my other wrench in the back? You know, make yourself useful for a change?" Sam snorted as she slowly got up from her seat. She popped the trunk open and retrieved the large tool, scratched and rusty, before walking over to where Baird was, or rather, where his feet were, as the rest of his body was hidden under the truck. She tapped his foot with hers and he slid out, hand extended. His face was already covered with soot, his goggles shielding his eyes._

_"Here ya go!" Sam said as she purposefully dropped the heavy wrench atop Baird's unarmored chest with a thud. "Ow," he said dryly, scowling at her. Sam smiled smugly and stuck her tongue out at him before turning away. The blonde just sighed with frustration as he placed his first two fingers against his ear. "Control, Baird here. This piece of crap broke down again, and from the looks of things," He coughed from the smoke coming from whatever he was working on. "We're probably gonna be late for dinner." He snickered to himself as he overheard Sam groan. "Copy that Delta 2, what's your position?" "We're still a good thirty miles from base. And to top it all off, in the middle of the forest!" he exclaimed with mock enthusiasm. "No chance of pick-up I guess, right?"_

_"Sorry corporal, all Ravens are out. Stalks showed up just east of Delta 1's location. "Oh, I'm sure Marcus and the rest of the gang are having fun with that…," Baird replied jokingly. He'd never admit it, but he was a little nervous for them. "Man, I wish I knew where Cole was. Whose idea was it to split us up anyway?" he thought to himself as the woman on the com-link laughed softly. "As if an army of Locust wasn't enough, right?" She sighed, sounding a little more then stressed at that statement. "The last of the Ravens shipped out after they called for reinforcements." Baird gritted his teeth. "Oh that's just friggin' terrific…Well alrighty then, I guess I'll just have to work my magic, won't I?" He could hear Sam scoff as the woman replied. "Rodger that. Don't lose hope though, Baird. If a Raven shows up, we'll come get you." "Sure. Baird out," he said, shutting off the signal. "Pfft. Yeah, right," he muttered going back to work._

_"Well this is just peachy, isn't it?" Sam complained as she kicked at a pebble in the dirt road. "Someone's a little cranky today…," Baird muttered just loud enough for Sam to hear over the noise he was making. "Yeah, what a surprise it is to hear someone other then you bitching for once!" Sam snapped. Baird's sarcastic giggles only infuriated her more, but she was too tired to want to argue any further. After taking out a crap-load of grubs, then finding out a pack of wretches had basically ripped their only way back home apart, while nearly taking out her eye in the process, (Sam touched the fresh gash just below her eye and winced) All she wanted was a hot meal and some sleep. But instead, she was trapped in the middle of no where with this jackass and the thought of cold food. She started off with a huff._

_"Where are ya going?" Baird called. "You know it's too far to walk." "What's wrong Blondie? Miss me already?" Sam replied via tac-com, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Baird scoffed casually. "Yeah, keep dreaming sweetheart. I just don't feel like hauling your ass all the back here when you faint. Besides, this is going to take a while. You might wanna get comfy." Sam let out a forceful "ha" "Yeah, sure, with you? Forget that." Baird just laughed softly. "Hey, no one said with me. Slow down, will ya?" Sam ignored the previous jab altogether. "I'm going to have a look around like Zayn and the others. They were smart enough to ditch you from the start." Baird pretended to sound confused. "So what made you hang around for so long?" Sam rolled her eyes, even though she knew he couldn't see. "Just tell me when you're done, smartass," she quipped before shutting off her earpiece._

_Sam walked through the forest, the smell of pine needles thick on the cool evening air. It was quiet, aside from the crunching of leaves and twigs under her booted feet, and the occasional chirping of birds. Sam kept her lancer at the ready, though she didn't think she'd need it. Five minutes past, then ten. She was growing more and more impatient as she started working her way back to the road. "When is that bloody moron going to finish?" she thought to herself. Then she remembered she'd turned her tac-com off in order to shut out Baird's inevitable come-back. The second she pressed it back on, she heard screams and gunfire. "Oh, God! Get down! Holy sh-" Then she heard nothing but deafening static. Sam felt the color drain from her face as she bolted for the truck._


	3. Chapter 3

_Baird smirked to himself. "Oh don't worry I'll…what the…Sam? He'd lost the signal to her tac-com. "Oh wow, that's real mature… Yeah, well, two can play that game," he said, clearly frustrated before shutting off his own tac-com. "Now I hope she does faint," he thought as he attempted to focus on the task at hand. He'd made little progress with the damaged vehicle. "Those things really did a number on this one…,"He repeated as he noticed each problem. He slid even farther beneath the packhorse, hiding his whole body to work on the rear, which had a lot of random parts and debris hanging down. He tried to remove a chunk of torn metal from between the fuel pipes, but it wouldn't budge. He tried again, with more force this time then cringed. "Oh, you bastard...," Baird looked at his hand to see blood on his fingertip. Something sharp had sliced a small groove into his right index finger._

"Great…" he muttered to himself. It was the type of cut that didn't hurt much at first, but seconds later started to pulsate and sting. Whatever had snagged his skin had left some rust behind too, which wasn't helping. The blonde gear pursed his lips for a moment before sucking on the cut, putting pressure on it with his tongue. After two seconds, he made a face and spit. The taste of blood always bothered him. It reminded him of being inside the giant rock-worm a couple of years ago, a not so pleasant experience for the strictly hygienic gear. He sighed and laid his head down on the ground, looking up at the mass of machinery above him for a while. "Oh screw this…" he said aloud, pressing his fingers to his ear, turning his radio back on. "Hey guys? This thing's shot to hell. We're probably gonna be here a while 'cause…" his sentence was cut off by the sounds of screams and gunfire. At that same moment, he heard an explosion in the distance. "Oh, God! Get down! Holy sh-"

Baird's face contorted with confusion as static buzzed in his ear. "What the… Uh, hey! Hello?" His head went up with a start as he attempted to get to his feet, crashing against a metal pipe on the underside of the pack-horse. He was just about to scream in pain when he saw a huge pair of boots walking slowly on his left. His eyes went wide with fear as he remembered his lancer in the front seat.

* * *

"Sam! Oh God, no. Sam, wake up! Baird shook her hand frantically. He checked her pulse. Damn it. His hands were too shaky to get a good read. He pressed his ear against her chest, and then sighed, not realizing he'd been holding his breath. Her heart was still beating, though very faintly. He put his ear next to her mouth and listened to her shallow breathing, not wanting to pull away. As long as he heard her softly inhale, exhale, he felt a little better. He wiped at his eyes and looked around at nothing in particular, then back at Sam.

"It's going to be fine, they'll be here," he said more to himself then his companion. As he gently rubbed her hand, Sam coughed weakly while her eyes slowly opened, rolling back a little, trying to focus. "Sam? Sam! I'm right here, look at me. Sam!" He lightly slapped her cheek a couple of times, trying to keep her awake. "How…Bad…Where…?" she groaned. Baird stroked her hair away from her face. "Shhh, it's ok. Just keep your eyes opened. What's my name? Sam, what's my name?" Sam tried to focus her gaze, but she could barely make out his face. It was too dark and too bright at the same time. She tried to shield her eyes, but that only aggravated her injury. She whimpered weakly, a tear rolling down her cheek. "B...Bair…Baird? She stuttered, wincing. Why did her head hurt so much?

The male gear looked into her eyes. She seemed confused, almost surprised to see him. "Yeah, I'm right here, don't worry. Just", he cleared his throat. "Just stay awake for me ok?" He squeezed her hand. "Just stay awake," he repeated in a whisper. "Baird I…So c-cold…" "I know," he said, tears filling his eyes again. "God, I know." He reached for his bag and retrieved two over sized hand towels. They were stained with oil and whatever else from his garage, but it was the closest thing to a blanket he had. "Here, hang on." He covered her arms with the towels, bringing them up to her chin. She was shivering. "Please, just hold on ok? Sam, can you hear me? For God's sake, just hold on a little longer, alright?" Much to Baird's surprise, Sam nodded her head ever so slightly as she huddled closer to the towels.


	4. Chapter 4

_"Mayday! Mayday! Control, come in! We're being attacked! Requesting immediate assistance!" Private Carson shouted into his earpiece. "Ziryn! On your flank!" He called, firing several rounds into the chest of another locust, sending it crashing to the forest floor._

"Delta 2, this is control. Request acknowledged. Just hang in there. Choppers will need at least twenty minutes to reach you. They just arrived to assist Delta 1." "Ugh, alright. Just get here ASAP!" "Grinder!" Ziryn warned her three other companions. "Sid, can you reach Baird or Byrne yet?" the raven-haired woman asked as she unloaded the clip of her lancer into the Grinder's gut. "Shit! Still no signal! We're on our own!" The young Gorasni soldier gave up trying to reach them and held up his Longshot as he kept low against the trunk of a fallen tree. He focused his dark brown eyes on his target; a Theron Guard reloading his Torque Bow.

"Hold your breath, fire." He said silently before pulling the trigger. His aim was dead on; a perfect head shot shattering the grub's skull, blood spurting in the air. "Got one!" Sid yelled to no one in particular. "I count 6!" Ziryn shouted. "Same" Zayn replied. "Oh, shit…" Carson muttered. They peaked out from safety of cover to see three Diggers and at least ten more drones. "Oh, God! Get down! Sh-" The digger exploded right at Carson's feet, sending him flying back, landing hard on the ground, his body in a heap. "Damn it! No!" Sid screamed, doing his best to fend off the drones headed straight for him.

"What the… Uh, hey! Hello?" Came Baird's voice over the tac-com. "Baird! Come in! Do you read-" The channel was static now. "Baird?! God damn it! I lost him!" Zayn yelled before he saw a Locust charging at him, chainsaw revved. "Zayn! Look out!" Ziryn shrieked, turning her attention to her twin's attacker, aiming for the head. He and the locust both had their bayonets locked, struggling against each other's force. Just as the male gear was about to lose his grip, something hot and sticky splattered across his face, and the drone collapsed headless to the ground. He just stood there for a moment, gasping for breath as he watched his sister take aim at another target with her Boltok.

"Zayn! Get down, mate!" Sid called to the youngest of their group as a digger made its way towards him, dirt flying in its path. "Bloody hell…" Sid rolled out of the way, just barely avoiding the explosion, then sprinted to the nearest tree. He took cover behind its trunk, and reloaded his lancer. Just then, something struck his back. He had a moment to see the frag grenade at his feet before it detonated, raining debris around the surrounding area, the massive oak toppling over with a loud thud.

"Zir! Sid's down! Oh, God…" Zayn choked, rubbing the dirt out of his eyes; his ears ringing slightly. Ziryn was lying on her stomach, slowly picking her head up off the ground. The grenade had knocked her off her feet. She groggily reached for her gun, which had landed a couple feet away. Her ears were ringing as she fingered the weapon, her hands shaking. She stood up and raised her lancer just in time to see a savage grenadier impale her brother with it's retro lancer bayonet, then toss his body to the ground.

She heard nothing, not the sound of her gun as she finished off Zayn's killer, not the growls of the remaining locust troops closing in as she sprinted to his side. She didn't even notice the blood dripping from her stomach as she clutched his hand with tears in her eyes. She saw flames and smoke on her left, followed by Baird rushing in about a hundred yards out, shooting one, two, grubs with his lancer shouting at the top of his lungs, though she didn't hear a word of it. She squeezed Zayn's shaky, ice cold hand in hers, looking into his green eyes. The mortally wounded gear squeezed her hand back, then slowly reached for his last frag attached to his belt, and Ziryn at once understood. As a group of five Locust drones raised their guns at the pair, Ziryn looked up at them, eyes blazing, lips pursed together, quivering, and pulled the pin of her grenade as her twin brother did the same.

* * *

_"Baird! We've got company! Do you read me? I think Carson is down, do you have a visual?" Sam was sprinting, her words flying from her lips. She waited for a reply, but heard nothing but static, which caused the brunette woman to stop dead in her tracks. She'd heard the low growls of the Locust over the radio just moments ago, but when she looked around she saw no signs of them, or her companions. She stood for a moment, her breath ragging from exertion._

_"Oh, Baird…They couldn't have…" The thought of any actual harm coming to that cocky, annoying, though strangely lovable man made Sam's cheeks flush with anger. "Those bastards…They bloody well better not have…" She continued running as fast as she could until the pack horse was in sight. She approached the vehicle slowly, raising her rifle. There was nothing; no one in sight, save for a dead grinder and Baird's chest plate. "What the hell…?" she whispered to herself. _

_"Sid! This is Byrne. Come in! Over! Zayn! Ziryn! Somebody answer me, damn it!" She was just about to yell in frustration when a flustered Baird interrupted her. "Sam! Are you there? I'm..." His voice was crackly with the static. "Baird! I..." She winced and covered her ear as she heard a loud boom over her tac-com. This time though, she saw it in the distance too, about 1000 yards away. Her once silent earpiece was now full of commotion as she struggled to hear her squad mate over the noise of gun fire and explosives going off. "Son of a bitch!" Baird shouted as he struggled to reload his lancer. "Baird!" she cried, louder then before. "I read you! Where are you? What the hell happened?"_


	5. Chapter 5

_Baird's mind raced as he lay under the truck motionless, covering his mouth with his palms, blood dripping down the bridge of his nose. "Baird! Come in! Do you read-" Startled, he quickly reached up and shut off his tac-com, praying whatever was out there didn't hear. "Shit! Shit! Did it see me?" he screamed silently. He held his breath as he watched the over sized locust, a digger, or a grinder maybe, make its way to the front of the pack-horse. He could hear it growling, attempting to search the truck._

Just then Baird remembered his Boltok revolver attached to his hip. He quietly took it in his hand and hugged it to his chest, wincing each time the gravel shifted under his body. He heard the locust sniffing the air as it kicked his chest piece, which he'd left on the ground. "How many more were out there?" he thought. He couldn't stand being stuck like this; completely blind and helpless. He breathed heavily through his nose before scrambling to his feet to the side of the truck opposite the locust.

He quickly identified it as a grinder, which had heard his movement and motioned to rev up it's massive chain-gun. Before it had time to react however, Baird shot three bullets into it's head and it fell to the ground in a bloody heap. Baird's hands shook as he holstered his pistol and scrambled to the driver's side to retrieve his lancer then made his way to the front and started putting on his chest piece. He struggled with the clasps, his whole body still tense with fear. Finally, he dropped the armor to the ground and sprinted in the direction of the explosions.

As he got closer, he could hear the sounds of gunfire; the inaudible shouts of his squad mates. He could barely see them in the distance when he nearly collided with a locust drone, armed with a lancer. Baird skidded to a halt, and shot several rounds into it's body, then continued on. He made it to a small clearing to see a group of Locust; a couple diggers, a grinder, and several drones headed in his companions direction. He quickly slid behind a large rock before being spotted. "Were they following us? No, they couldn't have…They…," His eyes went wide. "They were headed for Delta 1…" The small convoy of grubs was well armed and organized. It wasn't by chance they'd been walking around in the forest, they were on they're way to aid their troops. Marcus and the rest of Delta were already giving them hell, he knew, so once the Lambent showed up, they needed all the help they could get.

Baird thought of his friends out there somewhere and clenched his teeth, then lobbed an incendiary grenade as far as he could, where it exploded in a huge blaze, nearly engulfing the entire group in flames. With the element of surprise on his side, Baird took care of the few survivors with his lancer, and ran the last fifty yards screaming to his companions; frantically asking where they were, what happened. Finally through the smoke, he could just make out Ziryn's silhouette, keeling on the ground next to someone, surrounded by locust drones, when the explosion almost knocked him off his feet. His ears were buzzing, as he looked around, disoriented.

He searched the surrounding area for the rest of his squad, until he saw Carson, near silently choking, gasping for breath. He ran up to his body, and one look told the mechanic he wasn't going to make it. He was white as a ghost, lying on the ground surrounded by a pool of his own blood. "Carson, what happened?" Baird asked as he clipped his gun to his back and carefully picked him up by his chest piece. The man gasped, trying to speak. Baird put his ear to his mouth. "They…D-dead…They…" He managed in the lowest of whispers. He took one last deep breathe before his eyes faded, and his body went limp in Baird's grasp. Baird gritted his teeth and gently placed his fellow gear back on the ground. He just stood there; holding is head in his hands.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of several large locust troops heading the other way. He quickly jumped behind cover as they noticed his presence, sending bullets flying in his direction. He grabbed his lancer and blind fired over the fallen tree he used for cover, taking down a digger before it had time to fire. Just then, he heard Sam's voice over the tac-com. "Sid! This is Byrne. Come in! Over!" "Zayn! Ziryn! Somebody answer me, damn it!" "Sam! Are you there? I'm..." He was interrupted by a boom shot going off to his right. He cried out, covering his ear; shielding his face. "Baird! I..." Baird's gun jammed as he frantically tried to reload it. "Son of a bitch!" he shouted as he shoved the magazine in by force. "Baird," Sam cried, louder then before. "I read you! Where are you? What the hell happened?"

* * *

_"It's a friggin' ambush! They must have been on they're way to Marcus' location! I'm all alone, man! Where are you? Are you alright?" The blonde gear yelled into his tac-com as he unloaded the last of his lancer's clip into a group of Theron guards, the bullets ripping through their thick skin; blood spraying in the air. "I'm fine, I'm on my way, hang on!" Sam responded as she continued her way towards the smoke still hanging heavily in the air from Baird's incendiary._

As she dodged the flames on the ground, the smell of burning flesh making her eyes water, she spotted her surviving companion, as well as Carson's body. She gasped under her breathe, and then rushed to the nearest bolder, about twenty-five feet from Baird. "What do you see?" She called, taking cover behind the massive rock as a torque bow exploded behind her, just missing her head as she dropped to the ground. "There's…, damn it! I can't tell, At least 10!" Baird yelled with frustration from behind cover. "Fan-bloody-tastic…" Sam muttered as she took aim with her Longshot, striking an unfortunate Theron guard, taking a good portion of his head off.

"Boomer! Baird, look out!" She screamed as she reloaded her sniper rifle at lightning speed. "Got it," Baird responded, swinging his last incendiary grenade a few times then launched it in the boomer's direction. It struck the massive grub in the chest, exploding on impact. "Smokin'!" Baird quipped as he watched 3 other drones writhing on the ground, engulfed in flames. "That leaves," he counted silently, "looks like eight more! Oh, shit! Sam! Watch out!" Three diggers revealed themselves from the woods, walking slowly towards the two, taking aim with their massive weapons. "DIG!"

"No, no, no!" Sam shrieked as she chain sawed a drone down the middle as it attempted to flank her. She lobbed a frag blindly in the direction of the diggers. It landed slightly to their right, taking out one of them as well as 2 grenadiers. Baird focused on the other with his lancer, unloading an entire clip into the grub's chest. Sam was able to finish off the remaining digger, but just as it fell to the ground, it had managed to pull the trigger, sending the explosive tunneling its way straight to where the brunette stood. She rolled to the right, but it was too late.

"Sam! No!" Baird screamed, as he watched her slump to the ground. He finished off two more drones, and then carefully made his way towards her, dodging a boomshot that hit the ground off to his left, using whatever he could for cover. To his relief, Sam began to come to, shaking her head as she reached for her snub pistol on her belt. She took aim while on her back, finishing off the last three grubs as Baird rushed to her side.

"Shit, Oh shit! Sam! Oh, God…"Baird gasped as his eyes frantically scanned Sam's body, eyeing the chunk torn out of her armor, and the blood dripping from her lip. "I'm alright I-" She exclaimed in pain holding her side. She winced, before glancing at her hand to see her glove was covered in dark red. "Aw, shit…" she whispered to herself as she made a fist with her blood-stained hand. "Here, take my hand," Baird attempted to help Sam to her feet, but Sam yelped, causing the blonde to pull away, looking a little more then scared for his female companion.

"D-did we get em' all?" Sam asked, trying to take her mind off the stabbing pain in her ribs. "I think so," Baird replied, still panting from his excursion. He scanned the area, but there was nothing in sight. He pressed his fingers against his ear as Sam wiped at her lip. "Control, come in! I don't even know where to start… Carson is down, we need an evac, now! Byrne's been hit, and," he lowered his voice a tad "It looks pretty bad." "Copy that corporal. What's your location?" "I, umm," he looked around for a moment, trying to remember which way he'd come from. "Just south of the pack-horse, in a small clearing. We've gotta get out of here now, you here me? I don't even know if there's any more of em' out there!" Baird responded, flustered. "Rodger that. Just sit tight Baird, a Raven is on its way, but it's going to take some time." "Alright, Baird out." He looked down to see Sam's face had gone pale, her breathing labored as she lay on the ground, coughing weakly.


	6. Chapter 6

Baird clutched Sam's shaking hand in his as her grip became weaker. Her soft tanned skin was cold to the touch. He couldn't take his eyes off her. Her whole body was so frail when just before it was full of life. He had to keep himself from thinking it was all a dream, a horrible dream from which they'd wake up together. He'd open his eyes to see her beautiful face; feel the warmth of her skin. Healthy, alive. "Please Sam," he whispered, his shaky voice choking back tears. "Please don't…you can't die…I need you so much." He was dizzy, tired, and the chunk taken out of his arm was excruciatingly painful. The Longshot had grazed his bicep, but just barely. He didn't even notice the bullet tearing through his flesh as he made his way to Sam; her body slumped on the ground after the digger exploded. Sam moaned and coughed under her breath, just barely awake.

"B-Bair…," she stuttered, gasping softy. He wiped his eyes, his lip quivering as he looked at her. "I…I'm scared…" Baird's expression went slack as a single sob passed his lips. He shook his head quickly, sniffling. "It's ok. I won't let anything happen to you, I promise," he whispered, kissing her moist, icy forehead. Baird could have sworn he saw the tiniest, weakest smile touch her lips before her eyes slowly closed. She cringed, and then her hand was limp in his. "Oh…please, no…don't…," He was about to check her heartbeat, but his body was frozen in place. He wanted to know if she was still there, but a part of him was afraid to find out. He didn't know what to do; there was nothing he could do anymore. He felt like gagging, but he wouldn't. He just sat there motionless, silently letting his tears fall.

"Just say something," he said, never letting go of her hand. She couldn't be gone. He'd never even gotten the chance to tell her how beautiful she was; how much she meant to him. "I'm sorry," he breathed. His head hurt so much; his injured, bloodied arm was hanging limp, completely useless from his shoulder. He leaned his head against the bullet-ridden tree trunk behind his companion, which they'd used for cover minutes ago. Baird sighed weakly, licking his parched lips. The surrounding area was becoming fuzzy. He tried to focus his gaze on the trees ahead, but it was becoming to grey to see. He closed his eyes, mouthing words before he finally passed out.

* * *

"There! Take us down!" The deafening sound of chopper blades pierced the evening air as the King Raven landed. A cloud of dust engulfed it as its passengers jumped out, lancers in hand as they rushed towards the two figures slumped against a tree, hand in hand; eyes shut. "Baird, Byrne!" Someone shouted as they made their way towards them, watching the woods through the corners of their eyes. Baird began to come to; everything moving in slow motion before bursting back to normal in a flash. He cringed, wanting to cover his ears as he quickly reached for his sidearm attached to his belt. The sound of the chopper had woken him up, his head throbbing with pain from the noise. The group of soldiers came to a halt as they spied Baird's shaking hand clenched around his Boltok pointed straight at them, his other hand clasping Sam's tightly. His face was pale and clammy; his red, tired eyes darting between each member of the group. He looked confused for a moment, as if he couldn't make out who they were.

"Take it easy corporal, were going to get you two out of here." The leader of the group, an older man with thick black hair and dark brown eyes spoke as calmly as he could with a gun held in his direction. The blonde blinked slowly before letting the gun fall to the ground as he coughed. The field medic darted for Sam as soon as Baird let go of the Boltok, looking her over, cursing under his breath. He checked her pulse. "She's going into shock. Sir, we have to get out of here, right now!" The sergeant nodded towards the younger man before making his way to where Baird sat, looking over his shaking body, his eyes going straight to his upper arm. "Come on," he said, grabbing Baird's bloody hand in his. He brought him to his feet, the blonde cringing as he did so. When he stood up, he stumbled, almost falling to the ground again before the sergeant caught him. He draped Baird's uninjured arm across his massive, Cole-like frame and helped him into the chopper. "Reese! We're set to go!" he called to the young medic as Baird leaned the side of his blood-stained face against the interior of the Raven, mouthing words to himself.

"Ok…ok…" the young medic mumbled franticly as he fumbled through his bags, pulling out a shot of morphine. He removed the towels which now had a small red stain on them from her and clenched his jaw. He gently put arm across his patient's neck, keeping her still as he injected her with the painkiller. Sam weakly gasped for breathe, blinking slowly as her eyes rolled back, trying to focus. "Shhh…it's alright, love," the medic spoke softly as he worked, placing more gauze against the wound as Sam whimpered in pain. "Bair…Baird…Where…," she stuttered, eyes darting around searching for her companion. The medic finished up and gestured for his squad mates to help carry her. "Here, gently now. One, two..." They carried her off as carefully as they could, placing her on the floor of chopper.

"Sam? Where's Sam?" Baird repeated in a hushed voice, scanning the chopper as it took off. He looked down to see Sam lying at his feet, held steady by two other gears as the medic covered her shivering body in a blanket, placing his palm across her forehead. He spoke softly to her as he went through his supplies. "Can you hear me? Byrne?" He waved his hand in front of her face. She stirred, her glossy eyes trying to focus on her doctor. "I'm going to give you a shot now, alright? It'll put you to sleep for a while. Turn you're head for me, that's it," he instructed as he turned her chin away from him. He frowned with pity as he inserted the needle into the base of her neck. Sam cringed for a brief moment before her body relaxed and she fell into a peaceful sleep.

Baird shook his head, trying to wake himself up. The weary medic checked Sam's pulse again before glancing at the blonde, his arm bleeding badly. "Here, put some pressure on that," he told him as he handed the mechanic a bundle of gauze. Baird coughed and held the bandages tightly against his wound, the pain waking him up a bit. He looked down at his friend to see her sleeping peacefully and sighed. At least she doesn't hurt anymore, he thought as he wiped at the blood dripping into his eyes. He overheard the pilot speaking into his headset. "Roger that. We got em'…..Yeah, we'll be there in five. Keller out."


	7. Chapter 7

"No, I have to stay with…Just…Let go!" Baird protested weakly as the weary sergeant started to lead him off. He tried to pull away then yelped in pain. The blonde gear looked down at his arm, fresh blood oozing through the gauze. The older man grabbed hold of Baird by his shirt with one arm and held him still. "Listen, you wanna keep that arm? Or do you want the remainder of your career to be sitting behind a damn desk?" He was becoming agitated by Baird's lack of cooperation, but when he saw the mechanic's eyes glossy with tears, his tone softened. "Come on man, she's in good hands. We'll keep you posted, alright? You can go see her in a minute. Let's…get you patched up first." He loosened his grip on Baird, gesturing for him to follow and he reluctantly complied. He held his arm as he turned to leave, watching the medics carry Sam off on a stretcher, her frail body still limp; sleeping.

As he walked through the doors of the hospital, Baird saw just how busy the doctors and nurses were. They'd killed off the remaining locust and lambent once the reinforcements showed up, but the battle had been costly. Baird looked around at the soldiers, at their battered armor, bloodied clothes. Nurses were running back and forth to whomever needed them the most, calmly speaking to each patient with soothing voices. Baird stood in the hallway for a moment as the older gear walked back out of the crowded room to help some field medics with the more severely wounded, which had just arrived via King Raven.

Just then, a nurse called to him over the commotion. Baird turned around, startled before looking her over. She was a petite red head with bright green eyes and a soft expression. She had dirt and specks of blood across her white uniform; her long curly hair pulled back in a ponytail. She gulped, and then stood up a bit straighter as she noticed his massive build compared to her own. She couldn't have been more then twenty-three.

"This way corporal," she said, leading him towards the back to a vacant room. "You can sit right here," she instructed, filling a basin with hot water. Baird eased himself onto the metal table as she did so. She carried the basin, which seemed to be almost as big as she was, along with a clean washcloth over to where the mechanic sat holding what remained of the gauze to his arm. As she placed the tub of steaming water on the table next to him, she noticed his hands were shaking a bit, and his face was glistening with sweat. She looked at him with pity as she pulled on a pair of latex gloves.

"Alright," she said with a sigh, trying to sound as calm as she could for her patient's sake. "Lets see…" She carefully removed the blood-soaked gauze from Baird's wound, revealing the flap of skin hanging by a thread, blood still running down his massive arm. She pursed her lips and swallowed hard. "Ok, do you still have feeling in your arm and hand? Can you move it?" She made a fist with her right hand and opened and closed it, waiting for Baird to do the same. He did once, but stiffened with the pain. "Alright, hang on." She reached into a cabinet and pulled out a syringe. She had it set in a flash and flicked the needle before gently injecting its contents into Baird's arm. "There you go, sweetheart. You'll feel much better in a minute."

Her voice was so calm; Baird found it hard to believe she was so young. Despite her fragile appearance, she worked quickly and efficiently, standing on a stool to be level with the gash on his head, from which blood dripped down the bridge of his nose. She carefully cleaned around the cut with the warm water, washing the blood and dirt off Baird's face. "Ok, hold this here," she told him, giving him a wad of gauze which he held against his head as she fumbled through the cabinets once more. "Let me numb you out up there, then I'll go and get the doc for that arm, ok?" Baird nodded as she administered the pain-killers to the deep cut on his forehead.

"There we go. How's it doing? Numb yet?" She asked in a soft voice, gesturing to his bicep. Baird touched his index finger against his thumb, then made a fist, but couldn't feel a thing. "Yeah," he mumbled softly. She nodded, then disposed of the bloodied gauze and washed and cleaned his entire upper arm thoroughly, before placing new gauze over the wound. She gestured for Baird to hold it, then after he'd placed his blood-stained hand over the wraps, she removed the basin full of pinkish-red water from the table and poured it down the sink. She threw away her gloves and filled a paper cup with cold water for her exhausted patient. She then handed it to the blonde gear, who took it gratefully, taking long sips with a sigh. "I'll be right back," she said with a tired smile before disappearing down the hall.

Baird sat quietly watching the doctor, a grey-haired gentleman with glasses; probably in his late-forties, slowly stitching the hole in his arm closed, as he awkwardly hugged himself with his remaining arm. His nurse had patched up the gash above his brow, and was cleaning up the room, getting it ready for another patient, no doubt. He didn't budge as the needle went through his skin, even though the dull tugging he felt made him extremely uncomfortable. It just freaked him out for some reason. The local had kicked in, but the touchy blonde still pursed his lips tightly each time he looked at the wound. Normally, Baird was the kind of person who gave off like hell whenever he was hurt, but right now, he had one thing on his mind, and wanted the doctor to finish as quickly as possible, so he decided to keep still. He tapped his fingers against his ribs as the older man finished up, gesturing for the nurse to take over. He removed his gloves and sighed, rubbing his eyes with his forearm.

He glanced at Baird's arm as the nurse gently wrapped it up with a clean bandage, then made her way around his massive frame, clipping a sling across his shoulder. "You're very lucky," he said, his voice weary. "You could have lost that arm if you hadn't gotten here when you did." Baird just nodded then glanced back at the nurse, wiping her hands on her uniform. She was a good deal shorter then her bulky patient. She stood there for a minute, looking over her handiwork, and then smiled tenderly, though a bit nervously at Baird when he got up from his seat. He beat her by a foot and a half at least. Baird looked at her and smiled a small but grateful smile as she nodded and made her way out of the room. "Alright, I'm going to have you take some pills to prevent infection. Keep the area clean, and avoid heavy lifting or any activity for that matter for about two weeks." He spoke his words as though he'd said them a hundred times before. "Thank you," Baird said softly as the doctor nodded once and left.

* * *

Baird made his way down the crowded hallway past the doctors, nurses, stretchers, and patients to the front door. He shielded his eyes as he opened it, the setting sun blinding him for a moment before he caught sight of Anya Stroud exiting a chopper, Marcus Fenix close behind her. She noticed him, his bright blonde hair giving him away instantly.

"Hey Baird," she called as she jogged towards him, her eyes filled with relief then pity as she looked over his now bandaged injuries. "Are you alright?" He nodded quickly, scanning the chopper. Marcus had caught sight of him as he helped a man with a badly bleeding leg out of the Raven, giving a nod, Marcus-speak for "I'm glad your not dead" before helping the field medics carry the injured gear on a stretcher to the hospital.

"Where's…Where's Cole?" he said in a hushed voice, the thought of anything happening to his best friend making him weak in the knees. Anya just smiled. "He's fine. He's with Dom, helping transport the wounded. I just saw him a second ago…I'm sure he's around here somewhere. You know Cole, always trying to take care of everyone at once." Baird did know. He smiled for a quick second before Anya frowned nervously.

"How's Sam? Have you talked to the doctor yet?" Word traveled around the barracks quickly. Baird shook his head, but didn't say anything. Anya looked him over again, all motherly. She saw his pale face, his filthy clothes, and his bloody hands. "You look terrible," she said suddenly. There was no harshness to her words, they were full of pity. "Do you guys need anything? I was going to help distribute supplies." Anya asked before a small smile touched her lips. "Some clean clothes, maybe?" She looked over her shoulder as one of the medics called her name, motioning for her to help with some crates being toted around the crowded area. She signaled for him to wait one, and then turned back to Baird. "Um, yeah, that'd be great actually." Baird replied, remembering Sam's torn shirt. As his mind flashed back over the days events, he couldn't hide the worry in his eyes. He didn't even know if she was ok. Anya saw this, and did her best to console him.

"Ok, I'll see what I can find." She put her gloved hand on the mechanic's shoulder. "I'm sure she's fine. She's a tough one," the female gear said with a brave smile. "Wash up and get something to eat ok? I'll meet you inside." She sounded a bit tired as she spoke. Baird nodded. "Thank you Anya," He said quietly. Anya motioned to hug him, but hesitated for a minute before wrapping one arm around the blonde in an awkward, but loving half-hug. She wasn't sure how Baird would respond to such a gesture, but he didn't try to pull away. He sat there and sighed deeply for a minute before she stepped back with a gentle smile. Baird nodded his thanks and made his way to the other side of the hospital (reserved for the more severely injured) as Anya turned to help the gear with the crates of supplies.


	8. Chapter 8

Sam awoke to find herself lying in bed. She coughed weakly as her eyes slowly focused on the soft blanket covering her body. As she looked around, the brunette gear realized she was in the hospital, surrounded by a sheer off-white curtain with sounds of commotion in the background. The small area which served as a hospital in the barracks must have been crowded. She could hear the shuffling of busy doctors and nurses moving from one patient to the next. She could just make out the silhouette of someone (most likely a nurse) on the other side of the curtain which separated her bed from a neighboring patient's.

The area was functional at best. They didn't have an abundance of supplies; hell, they didn't even have hospital gowns. Sam could feel she still had her cargo pants on, but they'd removed her belt and boots, as well as her torn shirt. She felt woozy for a minute; the back of her head throbbed as she glanced at the IV inserted into her left wrist. As she looked down, she noticed the larger hand gently wrapped around her own, which was poking out from beneath the covers.

Baird was slumped in a chair next to her, his head resting at her side, facing her. He was fast asleep, a small lock of hair hiding his eye. Sam looked at him, squinting. He had a large bandage on his forehead. On the battlefield, he was completely different; loud, rough, intimidating. Now, she could only describe him as beautiful as he laid there, motionless, save for the steady rise and fall of his back as he breathed. She'd never really noticed his lovely features before; his fair complexion, his soft blonde hair. She spied the dark circles that had appeared below his eyes. Sam looked at him with pity as she realized he must have been by her side the entire time, waiting for her to wake up. He was still in the same clothing as before; his cut-off muscle shirt stained with blood and soot. The only difference was his hands and face had been washed clean.

A tender smile crossed her lips as she watched him for a little while. Then her eyes traveled across her "hospital room" as she tried to figure out how she'd gotten there in the first place. She felt a dull pain coming from her ribs, then glanced down at her chest. Blankets were covering her up to her neck. Using her free hand, which was resting at her side under the covers, she carefully lifted the blankets, revealing the thick bandages wrapped around her entire torso. She cringed, and then quickly replaced the blanket against her bare chest. Her right shoulder was wrapped as well, and Sam recalled just how hard she'd landed on it when she fell.

She squeezed Baird's hand gently. He stirred, and then got up with a start, inhaling sharply through his nose before meeting Sam's gaze. The mechanic sat up and looked at her face intently as she slowly blinked; a weak smile on her lips. Her face was pale, but not nearly as much as before. Her forehead was glistening with sweat. "Hey," he half whispered, looking relieved. He rubbed her hand tenderly as she answered; her voice a bit raspy. "H-hi." she grimaced inwardly at how weak she sounded. "How long…How long was I out?" Baird rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "A couple hours at least. They put you out when we got on the chopper." He took a clean washcloth from the side-table and gently dabbed Sam's forehead as she blinked tightly, trying to focus. As Sam's eyesight became clearer, she looked Baird over and frowned.

"What happened to your arm?" she asked with a cough. Baird looked down at his left arm, wrapped and in a sling. "Oh, this…It's nothing." Sam didn't believe a word of it. She tried to sit up, but the sharp pain from her side made her lay back down right away. "You got…but when? How did that happen?" She groaned, flustered as she tried to recall past events, but to no avail. She was still groggy from the sedative, combined with the pain killers they'd given her earlier. "No really, I'm fine. Look," Baird replied calmly. He reached up with his good arm and gently undid the sling, then draped it over the foot of the bed. "See? It's all good," he said as he gestured with his hand while carefully keeping his arm against his body. He smiled bravely, but Sam had caught him cringe a bit as he did so. "I told the docs I didn't need it, but they just like telling me what to do," Baird added with a grin, and the brunette gear couldn't help but smile back.

Sam sighed weakly, licking her lips. Baird quickly reached for the pitcher of ice water on the side table and poured some for her. "Here, drink this," he said, handing the glass to her, but he felt her grip was weak. "I'm sorry," she muttered, closing her eyes tightly as she placed her head against the pillows again. "Aw hell, I'm so dizzy…" Baird gestured for her to let him help, and then brought the glass to her lips. She took a long sip, closing her eyes. It tasted so good. "Thank you," Sam whispered, a bit self-consciously. She felt guilty getting special attention, even when she needed it. Baird just nodded, placing the glass back on the table. "You want some food? The doctor said you should eat something if you're feeling up to it." Sam didn't even realize how hungry she was until he mentioned it. "Food sounds…amazing," she said, the thought of a hot meal making her mouth water. Baird smiled. "Ok, I'll be back."

He returned five minutes later with a tray in his hands, everything neatly plated in typical Baird fashion. "Here. You got lucky, they just made these," he said, gesturing to the steaming chicken pot-pie on the tray. "Smells really good" Sam said with a sigh. She seemed more alert then before. She tried to sit up, but Baird saw her struggling and came to her aid, gently putting his hand behind her good shoulder, easing her up carefully. Sam blushed a bit, remembering her missing shirt as she felt Baird's calloused hand against her bare skin. She clutched the thin blanket to her chest as the blonde adjusted her pillows. When he saw her, the tips of her ears turning red, he quickly pulled the nightstand drawer open. "Uh, here," he stammered, handing her a faded grey tank shirt which was folded among several other articles of clothing.

"From Anya" Sam took it in one hand, carefully keeping the blanket against herself with the other. "Aw, she's a sweetheart," she said with a smile. When Baird noticed Sam looking at the shirt, he caught on. "Oh, do you need…? I'll get the nurse." Baird motioned to leave, but Sam stopped him. She already felt guilty taking up a bed in the crowded hospital. She wasn't going to interrupt one of the nurses to help her dress. "Oh no, it's fine. I got it." Baird looked uncertain for a moment, before nodding and closed the curtain behind him.

He busied himself with the cart full of pill bottles being past around to each of the patients. The young woman pushing the cart seemed relieved that Baird had come to retrieve his own, saving her a trip. After a bit, he found the bottles with their names on them, then walked back to where Sam was, slowly pulling the curtain back in an attempt at courtesy. He saw the female gear had managed to get herself through the shirt most of the way, but her injured arm was still resting at her side. She tried to lift it, but whimpered as she did so. Without saying a word, Baird placed the pills on the table next to the food then made his way around the bed. He gently lifted Sam's arm, guiding it through the strap of the shirt, and then smiled a tiny, but sweet smile, before placing the tray on Sam's lap.

As she ate, he sat down and reached for the pill bottles with her name on them, reading the hand-written labels. "Ok. It says here," he squinted, struggling to read the doctor's messy handwriting. "These are to be taken twice a day until you're healed up. And these," he picked up the other bottle. "Can be taken thrice daily for the pain, for as long as you need." He stared at both bottles for a minute, trying to calculate the dosage before shrugging, placing them back on the table. Then he picked up his own pills and studied the bottle.

After a bit, he looked up and watched Sam as she ate. "What?" she asked with a self-conscious grin, halfway finished with her dinner. "Nothing, sorry." He rubbed his eyes. "You hungry?" Sam asked, taking another mouthful. She felt funny eating in front of him. "Nah, I'll be fine…" "You sure?" He raised an eyebrow. "Well…" He smirked as he reached for the small apple pastry on her tray. Sam growled playfully at him, and he pulled his hand away. "Oh no, you don't. I'm saving that for last," she told him. "Fine," he said with a mock pout. "Don't eat too much though, ok?" Sam nodded as she took the last bite of her pot-pie. Baird strapped the sling back around his arm as Sam wolfed the pastry down in two bites. He was relieved to see she was eating; the color slowly coming back to her face. Once she finished, Baird removed the tray from her lap in a flash, much to Sam's dismay. She didn't like to be waited on, but decided to leave it alone. She'd never seen Baird this concerned with another person's comfort before, so it was pretty fascinating to watch.

"How's it feel?" he asked after he'd thrown the paper dishes and utensils away. Sam glanced down at her ribs. "I mean, it hurts like hell when I move…but you know, I'll live," Sam said, trying to sound strong. Baird seemed to breathe a sigh of relief as she finished her sentence. They looked into each other's eyes for a short moment, before Sam's gaze drifted away. "Where are the others?" She asked in barely a whisper. She felt so stupid for having forgotten about them. Baird opened his mouth to answer, but just pursed his lips and shook his head slightly, looking at the floor.

Sam felt her whole body go numb for a moment as she remembered the gears she'd just met this morning. No matter how many comrades she'd lost over the years, each death continued to be uniquely painful. She met his gaze with red eyes. "I should have gone with them…They asked me too, but I…" she closed her eyes, refusing to let her emotions get the best of her. Baird's eyes filled with pity as he spoke gently, taking a seat next to her on the small cot. "Hey, hey, don't do that. If you'd gone with them, how do I know you wouldn't have…," He just squeezed her hand, unable to finish his sentence. "They were… gone by the time I got there," he added, whispering.

She nodded and wiped at her eyes. "Sorry," she said, clearing her throat. His expression dropped as she spoke. He closed his eyes, and let out a deep sigh through his nose, looking away. Sam frowned. "What is it?" She asked softly, squeezing his hand as she tilted her head, trying to make eye contact. "It's just…" he stood up abruptly, raking his hand through his hair. "It happened so fast, you know?" he said turning to face her. "I mean, there was nothing. No warning…no…" he sighed, frustrated. "I had no idea where everyone was, where you were…" He looked away again. "I couldn't even think straight, I was so scared," he whispered, ashamed of himself. Sam's face went slack as she watched him standing there; eyes shut as he rubbed the back of his neck, refusing to meet her gaze. He looked like he just wanted to curl up and cry. Baird. Cry. Her brain had a hard time putting those two words together. The poor thing had barely gotten any sleep, and probably hadn't had anything to eat yet either, she thought to herself. Right now, he needed caring for as much as she did.

"Come here," Sam whispered softly. He complied, sitting down on the bed next to her looking at the floor, his hands folded together between his knees. She reached up with her good arm and put her hand on Baird's cheek, gently turning his head towards her. She heard him sigh under his breath as her soft skin lightly touched his face. He was pale; his eyes nearly half-lidded and bloodshot. He looked exhausted. "Everything's going to be alright now," she told him, stroking his cheek with her thumb. Baird studied her face for a moment, before replying softly.

"Just…stay with me from now on…alright?" His tone wasn't authoritative, it sounded more pleading. Sam looked at him, and then nodded, her head still resting against the pillows. "I can do that," she whispered, gently pulling his head close. Her side hurt as she sat up straighter, but Sam didn't notice as she kissed his lips tenderly. "Thank you for saving me. I wouldn't have made it on my own." Baird looked into her eyes. "I did what I had to do," he said simply. "I need you right here." Sam smiled as he kissed her again, stroking her brunette hair. He lowered her head back upon the pillows as he did so, easing his body against hers while being careful not to aggravate her injuries. "You really do care…" she said softly, raising an eyebrow at him. That playful tone in Sam's voice made Baird sigh inwardly with relief. She was going to be alright after all.

"Of course I do," he said as he nuzzled his face against her, lightly kissing her behind her ear. "That tickles," Sam whispered with a grin, pretending to pull away as he slowly worked his way down the side of her neck. Baird laughed softly, his breath warm on her skin, but didn't move an inch. She relaxed her shoulders and closed her eyes for a bit as she stroked the back of the blonde's head, working her fingers through his soft hair. "Baird…?" Sam opened her eyes and looked around cautiously. The last thing she wanted was for someone to walk in on them like this. Sure, everyone was probably really busy, but better to be safe then sorry. She had an image to maintain, after all. "Hmm?" Baird replied softly. He didn't seem to notice the commotion on the other side of the curtain as he massaged her uninjured shoulder, kissing her as he did so. Maybe he just didn't care.

Sam rubbed her cheek against his. "Come on, aren't you hungry?" she spoke softly into his ear. "Mm-mm." was all her companion could muster between kisses. Sam sighed as he gently stroked her arms. His soft touch felt wonderful, but she had to be firm. "Go on, you big softy…I know you haven't eaten yet…" she muttered, playfully pushing his face away with her cheek after kissing him one last time. Baird smiled as he looked into her eyes tenderly. "I'm just glad you're ok," he whispered, leaning his forehead against hers so their noses touched. Sam looked into his eyes to see they were glossy with tears. His expression was earnest and genuine for a moment before it was replaced by an impish grin. He kissed the tip of her nose, then her lips, and Sam laughed in mock frustration.

"Alright…alright, go get some food, will you?" She said as seriously as she could, her loving expression downplaying her words. Baird chuckled, and then gave in. "I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere, ok?" He said, standing up. Sam was surprised to see he wasn't joking. "Where am I going?" she asked with a soft laugh, gesturing towards the IV in her arm. Baird rolled his eyes, then leaned in and kissed her forehead. "You know what I meant," he said softly. "I promise, I'm not going anywhere." Sam assured him. He looked at her for a moment before closing the curtain. "I'm gonna hold you to that," Baird whispered to himself as he made his way to the mess hall.

**The End! I hope you guys liked it! Thanks for reading, and be sure to post a comment :)**


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